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Gun Show Experience at RIR

Grapeshot

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Nov, 15-16th at RIR was a blast and probably the heaviest attended show there in recent memory.

The good - scored to AR lowers - a Stag Arms and a DPMS - for the old, before panic prices. Also found a complete DPMS fire contol package at excellant price.

The bad - ammunition was flying off the shelves. Sat. I bought 500 rds of .45 ACP and Sun. I thought why not pick up another can - sorry sir we are sold out! There were only a few 50 rd packs of 9mm left and no .40 cal either.

The ugly - I've heard that Dark Sun (a local vendor) could be a little difficult from time to time but never had a personal negative experience....until Sat.

Asked if they had any AR lower units - they did but only assembled/complete, no stripped lowers. I asked if he was going to get any in and got an irritated lecture on how hard they were to get and that if he did get one he would probably costs me $400.00! "Damn" says I in disbelief. To which I was told, "Don't damn me - I'll come out there and beat your @ss!" Whaaa???? OK - Dark Sun is permanently off my list - doubt that they will miss me but I do have lots of friends at last check.

All in all a good show with plenty of interesting things to look at and touch. All of the vendors were smiling (except for Dark Sun) and seemed pleased.

The only other difficulting was getting from one side of Richmond to the other with the marathon in progress. Ended up taking 64W to Mechanicsville and coming back to RIR that way.

Yata hey
 

Tess

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Not the first such review I've heard of Dark Sun -- there are plenty of members of this board who will probably regale you with their own stories.

Glad I didn't attend, though, after what you say about traffic. Guess I'll have to get to Chantilly early next weekend.
 

nova

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Dark sun can KMA. They lost my business on two separate ocassions.

I don't know if I'll make it to the Chantilly show on Friday, for the first time I have class on a Friday Afternoon this semester so I won't make it out in time. I'll probably just wake up early Sat and go then. I really need to get some more Georgia Arms ammo so I hope they aren't out of the stuff I want. I can't imagine how packed this show is going to be.
 

Grapeshot

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ProShooter wrote:
What's the matter Grape? You didnt like my gun show post so you did your own? :)
I did check but missed it obviously or maybe I saw it and forgot it - can't remember which - sorry 'bout that. :(

Maybe the moderators will combine them.

Yata hey
 

taurusfan

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Grapeshot wrote:
Asked if they had any AR lower units - they did but only assembled/complete, no stripped lowers. I asked if he was going to get any in and got an irritated lecture on how hard they were to get and that if he did get one he would probably costs me $400.00! "Damn" says I in disbelief. To which I was told, "Don't damn me - I'll come out there and beat your @ss!" Whaaa???? OK - Dark Sun is permanently off my list - doubt that they will miss me but I do have lots of friends at last check.
Whoa ? WHO said they'd "beat your ass?" Was it David Jarrett (the owner of Dark Sun)?

David's always been friendly to me one time at a show he took out his personal carry gun and unloaded to let me try the trigger. It was a small Kahr I'm not into those myself!
 

Thundar

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Grapeshot wrote:
All in all a good show with plenty of interesting things to look at and touch. All of the vendors were smiling (except for Dark Sun) and seemed pleased.

The Dark Sun people are a bit annoying. They would not accept my C&R FFL to buy a Swedish Mauser. Blamed it on the BATFE. Something about extra work to prove a firearm was C&R eligible when their inspection was done.

That being said, I bought 3 SKS and a 91/30 from them at different times. All in cosmoline, all in great shape. Their prices are low and they letme pick through their inventory to find the oneI wanted.

I wouldn't buy a new firearm from them as there is no expectation of customer service after the sale, but for surplus military firearms Dark Sun is a good deal.
 

Grapeshot

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glockfan wrote:
Whoa ? WHO said they'd "beat your ass?" Was it David Jarrett (the owner of Dark Sun)?

David's always been friendly to me one time at a show he took out his personal carry gun and unloaded to let me try the trigger. It was a small Kahr I'm not into those myself!
Approx. 5' 11", 165-170 lb (slender), 30s, med. complexion, short hair w/yellowish ball cap so could not see hair color.

I took his remarks quite seriously as did several other potential customer near me who left the immediate area in shock.

"Personal carry gun and unloaded...." - maybe gun show rules only apply to common folk.

Yata hey
 

ProShooter

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Grapeshot wrote:
"Personal carry gun and unloaded...." - maybe gun show rules only apply to common folk.
On Saturday, at the end of the day I wandered over to the trash can to throw something away. I passed a "flea market crap" dealer (not gun dealer) and was amazed at what I saw him do. As I approached, he took a magazine out of his briefcase, draw his .45 from a shoulder rig, aimed the gun towards the ceiling, inserted the mag and chambered the round......he then proceeded to flag me as he was reholstering. I was pissed! I had no hesitation reporting his ass to show management.

I heard a story that at another show (Dale City?) some dealer had a gun on his table all weekend. He finally sold it to another dealer. The second dealer (nor the first) never bothered to check the gun and as dealer #2 was zip tying the trigger, he busted a round into the floor. The gun sat there all weekend (allegedly) with one in the pipe.

Show rules exist for a reason. The people who skirt the rules are going to get someone hurt through their carelessness.
 

AbNo

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We had something like that happen at the last Harrisonburg show. A round bounced off the (concrete) floor and hit a section of the wall on the other side of the building.
 

67GT390FB

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Grapeshot wrote:
glockfan wrote:
Whoa ? WHO said they'd "beat your ass?" Was it David Jarrett (the owner of Dark Sun)?

David's always been friendly to me one time at a show he took out his personal carry gun and unloaded to let me try the trigger. It was a small Kahr I'm not into those myself!
Approx. 5' 11", 165-170 lb (slender), 30s, med. complexion, short hair w/yellowish ball cap so could not see hair color.

I took his remarks quite seriously as did several other potential customer near me who left the immediate area in shock.

"Personal carry gun and unloaded...." - maybe gun show rules only apply to common folk.

Yata hey
that sounds more like rod, you can't miss dave as he is literally covered in tattoos he used to have a pony tail but had his hair cut close the last show. also i've never had a problem with them myself and their customer service after purchase has always been good.
 

taurusfan

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Grapeshot wrote:

Approx. 5' 11", 165-170 lb (slender), 30s, med. complexion, short hair w/yellowish ball cap so could not see hair color.

I took his remarks quite seriously as did several other potential customer near me who left the immediate area in shock.

"Personal carry gun and unloaded...." - maybe gun show rules only apply to common folk.

Yata hey
That doesn't sound like owner David Jarrett who threatened ya.

I think the best guy at these shows is Gary, of Gary's Guns & Transfers.
 

Grapeshot

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glockfan wrote:
I think the best guy at these shows is Gary, of Gary's Guns & Transfers.
That is exactly from whom I purchased all of my goodies. They are in Manakin Sabot, Va. which is really close by Richmond. Knowledgeable, pleasant and good prices too.

Yata hey
 

nova

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Grapeshot wrote:
glockfan wrote:
I think the best guy at these shows is Gary, of Gary's Guns & Transfers.
That is exactly from whom I purchased all of my goodies. They are in Manakin Sabot, Va. which is really close by Richmond. Knowledgeable, pleasant and good prices too.

Yata hey
I think I've bought from them as well. Good people.

I also have had great experiences with:

Trader Jerrys (will price match and has come down $20 every time I've asked)

Golden Arms ...had a nice confersation with the one guy while waiting for my background check to come through. The Dale City show wasn't busy so we chatted.

Rabbit Ridge
also normally has nice prices but last time the one guy was a little on edge. I think I caught him in a bad mood but I still got a good deal.

Dark Sun will never get a dime from me, thanks to ponytail man. He knows he's about the only one there with the surplus guns people want and doesn't care about being polite.
 

GLENGLOCKER

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I've seen a couple vendors carrying loaded firearms at shows. As far as Dark Sun I've never had a problem with them but I have heard several people say they have.
 

Dutch Uncle

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Ditto. I've never had a major negative interaction, but they can be somewhat aloof and condescending. On the other side, I've gotten surplus deals from them I couldn't match elsewhere. I guess that counts for something. The stuff I've gotten from them has been accurately graded and very reasonably priced. I suppose many of us will put up with a certain amount of BS to get a good deal, but I can't blame some of you for refusing to do business with them. What is their problem???? Why are they so dismissive to the people who keep them in business??

Do they get a government subsidy or something??
 

sidestreet

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Well Grapeshot, that's good enough for me. It'll be a "dark day ON the Sun" before I spend a dime with Dark Sun.

I have foundthat living with principles may cost some extra in the short term, but in the long run, a life with no principles can benear worthless.
 

taurusfan

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I have a suspicion that their "new" guns are blems or seconds, hence the reason for the low prices? I wouldn't buy anything "new" from DS.

Sometimes I see good deals, they had 2 used DSA FAL (SA58's I guess) at the Showplace a month ago one of them was very clean and only $800. I almost bought that damn thing. :lol:
 
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